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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28583628">Please Don't Forget Me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/RutabagaBurger/pseuds/RutabagaBurger'>RutabagaBurger</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Gen, Ghost Hinata Shouyou, Time Skips</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 05:42:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,805</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28583628</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/RutabagaBurger/pseuds/RutabagaBurger</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When a person becomes a ghost, they'll remain a ghost until the last person that remembers them, forgets everything about them. When Shoyo dies, he has to watch everyone live without him. He only hopes that he'll be remembered. </p><p>Hinata Shoyo isn't ready to be forgotten just yet.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Please Don't Forget Me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>His eyes focused on the tv screen in the shop window. What he saw was beautiful. The Little Giant. He couldn’t keep his eyes away. The soccer ball in his bike basket was forgotten. His friend’s shout for his attention fell onto deaf ears.</p><p>He knew he had to play this sport. Volleyball. He just had to. He finally turned to his friend, who was waiting impatiently on his own bike. His eyes were sparkling. “Did you see that, Seki?” </p><p>Seki turned to the screen. He didn’t see what was so exciting about it, soccer was better. But if  Hinata thought it was cool, so did he. “That’s really cool! Now let’s go before the big kids get there first! I have to show you how to dribble.” </p><p>They pushed off the ground and made their way to the soccer field. Shoyo was having a fun time but he knew that he was going to look into volleyball. He doesn't remember his school having a volleyball club. Maybe he’ll make his own. His smile never left his face, not even when he made his way home later that evening. </p><p>Jumping off his bike before it completely stopped was always something that made his mom nervous, but he just couldn’t help it when he had such exciting news to share. The bike toppled over in their front yard and Shoyo burst through the door.</p><p>His mother, who was in the kitchen trying to finish dinner, only sighed. This wasn’t the first time that he entered with such enthusiasm and it most certainly wasn’t going to be the last. She moves away from the stove right before Shoyo comes barreling into her arms. Her lips pulled into a smile and she laughed. Her happiness is just as blinding as her sons.</p><p>“Mom! Guess what?” She squeezed him tight making him squeal and laugh harder. Natsu, only a toddler, poked her head into the kitchen to see what was happening. She immediately charged into her older brother and held him tightly. </p><p>Her giggles mixed in with everyone else's and she was glad Shoyo was back so he could play with her. Their mom took a breath and looked at the boy. “What is it Shoyo? Did you make a new friend?” Usually, that would be why he was so excited. He was really, really good at making others like him. But this time, she was wrong.</p><p>He pulled away and sat at the dining room table while Natsu ran to the living room to get a coloring book and crayons. “No! I saw the Little Giant!” His mother, who had turned away to make sure the food didn’t burn only looked back at him in confusion. Shoyo’s excitement was rolling off of him and he was practically vibrating. “He’s a super cool volleyball player! He hit the ball like whack! And the ball hit the ground like wham! It was so cool! I want to play volleyball! Can I? Please?”</p><p>When she set her spatula down and looked back at him, she was met with pleading eyes. She remembers that look from when he wanted to play soccer. But somehow, she knew this was different. Natsu had climbed onto the chair next to him and plopped the book in front of her. His mom thought about it for a little bit before deciding she couldn’t see anything horrible about the idea except maybe money but she could deal with that. “I don’t see why not. It sounds like a lot of fun!”</p><p>If it was even possible, Shoyo’s smile got even bigger and he let out a cheer. His excitement was contagious and she was starting to feel excited about his new passion. Shoyo pulled the coloring book between him and Natsu and picked up an orange crayon. While his mom busied herself with the food, her children were talking and laughing.<br/>
Everything was perfect in their little world.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Staring into the eyes of one Kageyama Tobio after his first and last defeat with his volleyball team was too much for Shoyo. He confronted Kageyama after the game and it was too much. Everything was too much. He had to go home to his mom and Natsu, who were upset they couldn’t make it, and tell them he lost. </p><p>It was too much. </p><p>He made his way over to his bike. He could feel Kageyama’s eye on him as he left. His teammates and friends looked on after him as well. They tried their best to let him play volleyball. They tried their best to give him the opportunity to fly like the Little Giant he was always talking about. Shoyo was always so happy, they didn’t really know what to do.</p><p>Shoyo didn’t want them to see him so upset. He was a happy friend. He made others smile. Yes, he was upset, but he didn't want to burden them with his bad feelings. He’ll go home to his mom and she can make the bad go away. She always does.</p><p>He climbed onto his bike and began his way home. Even though he was devastated about his win, he made a promise to himself. He was going to beat Kageyama Tobio. He was going to win the next time he faced Kageyama. He wasn’t going to lose again. He’ll just have to get better.</p><p>He would have to ask the girl’s team to let him practice with them. He’ll find anyone willing to help. He was going to be better. He could do it. He was going to do it.<br/>
He opened his eyes, not realizing he closed them in the first place. That was his mistake.</p><p>He was too focused on his thoughts. He didn’t see the sign saying not to cross. He didn’t see the car. And he didn’t see anything as his world came to a screeching halt.<br/>
It was all too much.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>He felt weird.</p><p>Shoyo opened his eyes to see the sky above him. Sitting up, he could hear too many sounds and none of it was good. There was a scream from a woman close to him so he turned his head. The woman was running towards him, face pale. A young man was bent over on the sidewalk. Something must have made him sick. He heard tires scream as a driver rushed to get away. He looked towards the car, only to see his bike. </p><p>It was crushed and broken. What happened to it? He was just on it. Why was he sitting in the street? </p><p>A heavy feeling sunk into his gut as the woman dropped down next to him. But she wasn’t looking at Shoyo. </p><p>No.</p><p>She was looking at a body. A body that looked a lot like Shoyo. </p><p>His scream filled the air. </p><p>But no one heard it. No one looked at the screaming boy. Why aren’t they looking at him?  What is happening?</p><p>He scrambled to his feet. He couldn’t do this. He sprinted to the only place he could think of. His feet pounded on the ground under him as he sprinted to his house. He turned onto his street and saw the front door was open and his mother working in her small flower bed out front. </p><p>“MOM!” He needed her. He needed her to make the bad go away. </p><p>But she didn’t lookup. She didn’t even react when he tripped on the curb and fell. Shoyo sat in a daze trying to figure out why that didn’t hurt. He scrambled up and went to cling on to his mother. </p><p>Instead of crashing into her, he ended up laying on the other side of her. He blinked. He spun around her to see her shiver. He slowly reached out to tug on her sleeve.<br/>
Once again, he screamed as his hand went right through her arm.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It was hours later when his mom got the call from the hospital. </p><p>If Shoyo’s scream filled himself with dread, hers destroyed him. He just wanted to comfort her and make the bad go away. She collapsed onto the ground and Shoyo could only stand there, tears running down his own face.</p><p>Her wails filled the house. Natsu sat down next to her and pulled on her shirt. “Mommy? What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Her cry only grew. She grabbed Natsu and pulled the young girl close to her. </p><p>Shoyo didn’t want to see his mom like this. He ran to his room and crawled into his closet. If he stayed here long enough, everything will go back to the way it was supposed to. It was just a bad dream and he’ll wake up. He’ll wake up and his mom will tell him nothing happened and he’ll go back to playing volleyball, and he would be okay.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>When he finally crawled out from his closet, it wasn’t okay. Nothing was okay.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Natsu is sitting on the floor of the living room, putting together a puzzle. The house has been very quiet for too long. Shoyo sits in front of her pretending to help her. He tells her where a piece goes and he can only smile when she puts it where he told her to. His smile only falters when he does it again only for her to pick up a different piece.</p><p>Oh yeah. She can’t hear you. </p><p>It had been several months and he still couldn’t handle the facts. He didn’t want to believe that he was dead so he pretended like he wasn’t. It was just easier this way. </p><p>When his mom would quietly ask Natsu what she wanted for dinner, he told her. When she asked Natsu if she wanted to go to the park, he told her. When she asked Natsu how she was doing, he told her. </p><p>He even pretended to go to school. His friends were upset for a while, but they’re starting to be happy again. Good. He doesn’t want them to feel bad.</p><p>He was excited for school to end soon. He was going to go to Karasuno. That was where the Little Giant went.</p><p>Shoyo still wanted to play volleyball. He went to the girl’s practices and would copy their moves. He was going to improve even if no one knew it. </p><p>Then the day came. His first day at Karasuno. He bounced up and down as he made his way to the gym. He was almost laughing. He could almost pretend like nothing was wrong.</p><p>He walked through the open doors only to find a face he didn’t want to see.</p><p>Kageyama Tobio was bouncing a ball getting ready to serve it. The ball was thrown up, only to be slammed back down. Shoyo could only stare. His hands balled into fists.</p><p>This wasn’t fair. Why did Kageyama get to be here, alive, when Shoyo was stuck. Stuck watching. Nothing was fair. </p><p>Shoyo did the only thing he could think to do. He turned and ran. He didn’t want to see. He didn't want to see others live.</p><p>It was too much.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Karasuno wasn’t the school Shoyo watched on the tv. </p><p>Once he was brave enough to return, he had seen that they weren’t the same as they were. They weren’t bad, they had some really good players. They had good teamwork, except for Kageyama and Tsukishima. Tsukishima got on Shoyo’s nerves, and he didn’t work well with others. Kageyama was the same way. He just couldn’t seem to fit in. </p><p>At their first match, Kageyama looked around, as if he was looking for someone amongst the teams. The grey-haired boy asked Kageyama who he was looking for. Kageyama puffed out a breath of air. </p><p>He didn’t want to admit it, but he was trying to find the boy with orange hair he faced last year. He slowly looked at Sugawara. “I faced him last year. I beat his team the first round but I thought he would be here.” Sugawara gave him a gentle smile and ruffled his hair, making Kageyama frown deeper. </p><p>He also didn’t want to admit that he liked the affection. “I’m sure he’s somewhere around here. What does he look like? Maybe I can help look for him.” Kageyama hesitated before telling Sugawara what he remembered about the boy.</p><p>Shoyo could only walk quietly next to them as if they weren’t talking about him.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Karasuno didn’t make it to nationals.</p><p>For the three years that Shoyo should’ve played with them, they didn’t make it. They tried so hard but they couldn’t get there. </p><p>Shoyo could only imagine what it would’ve been like if he was there. Would they have gone? Would he even be a starter? How well would he have fit in with the team? He could only pretend to a point. They all had jokes and stories with each other, and Shoyo looked on.</p><p>Kageyama had continued to look for him through the first tournament with no luck. A month later Sugawara had found an article about a car crash and he remembered the kid. His heart broke but he knew he had to tell Kageyama. He came in the next day and showed Kageyama and broke the news to him as gently as he could. Kageyama had only stared at the picture attached to the news report. Sugawara was ready to console him, but Kageyama just blinked up at him.</p><p>Then he pretended like nothing was wrong. Shoyo could only watch with a small smile. </p><p>Over the years, Kageyama had become a better player than Shoyo could ever believe. Kageyama got to play with people that Shoyo could only see as people he could’ve been friends with. Shoyo knew he would’ve been friends with some of these people. He just knew it. </p><p>One thing Shoyo liked, was that Natsu decided to play volleyball. She had wanted to play when Shoyo was alive, but Shoyo didn’t know what she would do after he had become a ghost. For a long time, he thought she wasn’t going to do anything except play quietly in the living room. </p><p>But she had decided to play. She told herself she would play for both of them.</p><p>Shoyo cried the first time she had told their mom that. So did their mom.</p><p>Their mom wasn’t the same as she was. She used to be bright and energetic and ready to play with her kids whenever they wanted. After Shoyo became a ghost, she had become a shell of what she once was. She only smiled when Natsu was there. </p><p>She had dyed her hair. Her hair had been the same color as Shoyo’s and Natsu’s and it made her feel worse and worse. Her therapist recommended she change her hair. So she did. She was a brunette until her hair greyed and she didn’t have to color it herself. </p><p>Natsu had dyed her hair as well, at the insistence of her mom. She dyed it any color she wanted. Any color that wasn’t orange. Once she was in high school, she asked her mom to let her grow out her hair and let it be its natural color. </p><p>It was a hard process for their mom but she kept a strong front. Anything that reminded her about Shoyo was painful.</p><p>But in time, she learned to move on. She would always remember her beautiful son, but she needed to live her life. If not for herself, then for Natsu.</p><p>Shoyo watched everyone he knew grow and become new people.</p><p>Everyone became their own people and Shoyo could only watch. He didn’t grow. He was still stuck.</p><p>He wanted to be alive just like them.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>He felt weird. Like something was about to happen.</p><p>He didn’t know why but he was drawn to a certain person. He vaguely remembered her. It was the woman from the accident. She was sitting in a hospital room. She didn’t look very good. She was surrounded by family and Shoyo stood in the corner of the room as her heart monitor quit beeping.</p><p>It happened all at once. </p><p>He felt like a part of his soul was ripped from his ghost. He had to sit down and close his eyes. </p><p>What was that? Shoyo was shaking and out of breath. He never wanted to feel that again. </p><p>And yet he did. Anytime someone who had known him and remembered him died, or forgot, Shoyo could feel as a part of his soul was ripped from him. He didn’t want this. He just wanted to live. </p><p>He tried to pretend like everything was okay. Like nothing was wrong and that he was a normal person living a normal life. It hurt to feel someone forgot him. As if he never existed at all.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Shoyo was desperate. He still clung to the idea of living. It’s all he ever wanted for the past few decades. All he seemed to be able to do is look on as people forgot him or died. It was all too much. People who were close to him, people who he went to school with, people who had only met or saw him once.</p><p>He thought he was over when his mom died. He knew not many people remembered him at this point. Seeing his mom die made him cry in a way he hasn’t cried since a year after he died. If it wasn't enough that his soul was crushing him, his heart couldn’t take it. </p><p>His mom wasn’t supposed to die. She was supposed to make the bad go away. She was supposed to be there for him and Natsu. Why did this always happen? </p><p>The only relief he got from her death was that it was painless. She had found some happiness after a long time. She was able to move on and live.</p><p>Shoyo couldn’t say the same.</p><p>He couldn’t move on. He just couldn’t.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>This was the worst one yet. Worse than his mom.</p><p>Natsu hadn’t been feeling good. She hasn’t been remembering anything very well. </p><p>She had two wonderful daughters and a loving husband. But she started forgetting things. Little things at first. Small things that weren’t significant. It was when their mother came to visit and Natsu couldn’t remember that she was her mom for a few minutes that they knew something was wrong. </p><p>After that, it only got worse and worse. Shoyo pretended to play with her children as Natsu pretended like she knew their names.</p><p>It was only a matter of time. They were running around the backyard, Shoyo alongside the two oblivious children. The girls decided to stop for a snack. They were giggling and filled with so much energy. They were telling stories to Natsu about things she had told them before. Shoyo laughed along as he remembered these stories very well.</p><p>The older of the two scrunched up her face as she was thinking of something. “Mommy? I think you had a brother. I think you said something about our uncle once.” Natsu made nearly the same face as her daughter as she thought back.</p><p>Shoyo felt it before she said it. Tears already spilling down his face.</p><p>“No, I don’t believe I did. It was just me and your grandma for as long back as I could remember. Maybe you were thinking about your daddy’s brother.”</p><p>A large chunk of his soul was gone. The two girls put any thoughts of their mother having a sibling out of their minds and Shoyo knew his soul could only take so much of this.<br/>
Soon there would be nothing left.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>He only had a small part of himself left. He didn’t know how he knew, but he did. There was only one person that remembered Shoyo. What was he supposed to do? What was going to happen to him once they forgot? He wasn’t ready to be forgotten. He didn’t know what was going to happen and he was too scared to find out. </p><p>He did the only thing he could do. He followed Kageyama Tobio around. Shoyo never left his side. He was much older than when they had first met, but Shoyo could still see the boy he met in the man’s eyes. His face was wrinkled and his hands shook when he reached for his fork, but this was still Kageyama. He was nicer too.</p><p>Shoyo was filled with anxiety and dread as he watched Kageyama live his last few years.</p><p>One day, his nephew decided that Kageyama should live in a retirement home. Everything was getting pretty difficult to do himself. Kageyama had put up a fight saying he was okay, but when he had fallen and hurt himself, he had no choice.</p><p>And Shoyo had no choice but to follow him. </p><p>The first few years as a ghost, Shoyo had tried desperately to get anyone to notice him. The most he ever got was a slight shiver if he touched them.</p><p>Now, Shoyo was running out of time and he tried even harder. He tried to move objects, tried to pick things up, tried to shout for someone’s attention.</p><p>Nothing worked. He only made his panicking worse. And while he would sit, sobbing in the corner of the room, Kageyama would lay in bed. </p><p>One morning, Kageyama didn’t wake up. He wasn’t dead, but he wasn’t waking up.</p><p>They put him on life support and waited to see if he would wake up. They said there was no brain activity but they’ll wait and see.</p><p>But Kageyama still remembered Shoyo. Shoyo was still there so Kageyama was going to wake up and be okay. He had to.</p><p>But he didn’t.</p><p>A few weeks later, Kageyama’s nephew came to see him, along with a few people Shoyo didn’t recognize in his panic. He was begging.</p><p>His voice shook as he tried and failed to grab on to Kageyama’s hand. “Kageyama please you have to wake up! Please! Wake up and tell your nephew about me! I’m not ready!” His pleading got quieter and quieter until he could only mumble a small “please don’t” as the nurse turned off his life support.</p><p>Shoyo felt his soul disappear. It was slower than it usually was, like a gentle fade. It didn’t hurt as much as it had. It gave him a chance to say one more thing. He tried to put a smile on his face and took a deep breath. “Thank you. For never forgetting me. I-” Shoyo set his face into one of determination. “I hope your memory lives on forever.”</p><p>And with that Hinata Shoyo was no more, a forgotten name among forgotten souls.</p><p>When Kageyama Tobio opened his eyes, he could’ve sworn he saw a small, orange-haired kid next to him. But he wasn’t there now. </p><p>It must have been his imagination. </p><p>A trick of the light.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading!<br/>This was my first fic so uhhh I tried lol.<br/>Ok byee</p></blockquote></div></div>
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